Following the success of the past three editions, the BFI NETWORK @ FLARE Mentorships in partnership with BAFTA is back.

Are you an LGBTQ+-identified filmmaker who wants to keep developing your career in film? After three very successful years, this mentorship programme will again offer five emerging filmmakers based in the UK the opportunity to develop industry knowledge, professional connections, their passion for cinema and an overview of LGBTQ+ features entering the marketplace.

Selected filmmakers will receive:

A minimum of four one-to-one meetings with your mentor, a senior figure in the UK film industry.

Access to a bespoke programme of industry talks and events during BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival (21 March-1 April 2018).

Delegate pass and access to the viewing library for BFI Flare and BFI London Film Festival, and a ticket to BFI Flare Opening Night film and party on Wednesday 21 March 2018.

Access to monthly BFI Flare-branded screenings at BFI Southbank.

The Festival will also promote your work by publishing a news story with filmmaker profiles for the BFI Flare website and social networks and offering you the option to have your short film available on the password-protected BFI Flare industry viewing portal.

Eligibility criteria

You will have written, produced or directed a short film which has screened in the official selection or been selected for one of BAFTA’s qualifying film festivals, including BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival

You will be developing a feature film project

You will be a UK resident.

Location

Although the mentorship will be based in London, this is a UK-wide programme. There is some bursary support available to offset travel costs for participants living outside of Greater London.

Programme details

You will be assigned a mentor who is a senior figure in the film industry working in production, or sales and distribution.

You will have at least four formal meetings with your mentor and will be given support on how to get the most out of the experience.

Rather than being a project development scheme, the programme strengthens professional networks and offers a space for discussion and a better understanding of opportunities and challenges for LGBTQ+ filmmakers in the UK and in the global marketplace.

To start the mentorship off at the festival, there will be a collective gathering at a roundtable session at BFI Flare 2018 with senior figures in the film industry. This will be a Q&A exploring industry facts about LGBTQ+ content in UK film and in the global marketplace, and a discussion of the participants’ projects.

Selected filmmakers will be then paired with a mentor and meetings will be facilitated throughout 2018. Further meetings may also occur at the discretion of mentor/mentee. At the end of 2018, all mentees and mentors will have an exit interview, which will inform an article on the current global landscape for LGBTQ+ filmmaking. The article will be published on the BFI website.

How to apply

Fill out the online application form. You will need to register an account. Once you are signed in please select the ‘BAFTA Mentoring — BFI NETWORK @ Flare’ application form. In the form you will be asked to:

Upload an online link to your qualifying short film (see above criteria).

Discuss what you see as the three major challenges for LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers (you may deliver this as written text or a to-camera address).

Explain which filmmaker you admire and why (you may deliver this as written text or a to-camera address).

This programme is designed to help develop LGBTQ+-identified filmmakers who may or may not be working on projects with LGBTQ+ content.

The deadline to receive submissions is Monday 19 February. All details on the programme and how to apply can be found here.

If you have any questions about the mentorship programme, please send an email to apply@bafta.org

Key dates

19 February 2018 – Application deadline

26-28 February 2018 – Interviews (date TBC)

2 March 2018 – Notification of success

21 March-1 April 2018* BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival

*Please note that attendance at the Festival is a key part of this programme’s content so please do speak to us about any time conflicts.